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have resulted in eliminating from towns the old problem of regulating or prohibiting the sale of liquor. And the movement toward municipalizing water, light and power has now become so strong, even in towns of moderate size, that a democratic solution of the general problems seems to be assured.

There is as much difference in spirit between any two of our larger cities as there is between two of the Atlantic cities, say. New York and Philadelphia. In our new cities, moreover, it is sometimes easy to see how the local spirit was created. Usually it is ascribable either to a peculiar set of conditions or to a group of men. Some cities appear short-sighted in planning, irresolute, or incompetent in carrying out schemes of social, commercial or industrial development. Inquiry usually ascertains the cause to lie in a narrow individualism which has characterized its "leading citizen " class. Another is overbold, confident, generous to rashness, speculative, characteristics which once more reflect qualities inherent in its leadership. Sometimes the mixed character of the population militates against unity of action under even the wisest leadership. Although the populations of Northwestern cities are less complex than are those of Eastern and Middle Western cities, nevertheless one finds everywhere the deep social rift between the "masses "and the "classes "which constitutes the special problem of American democracy.

Geographical problems. The geography of each of the three states of this group has had an unfortunate effect on the sentiment of unity. Oregon and